Trees Near A Log Cabin - The Things You Need To Know

A log cabin adds natural beauty to your outdoors and trees help you enhance this aesthetic. Knowing what trees are ideal for planting near a log cabin and where to place them affects how well the trees blend in with your home. If well done, not only will the result be a breathtaking landscape, you will also add value to your cabin.

Additionally, trees provide shade for those days when the temperatures get uncomfortably high. They also offer privacy, allowing you to enjoy your outdoors without fear that someone could be watching you. Furthermore, they serve to break the speed of the wind, thus minimizing the adverse effects of strong winds on log cabins. Birds too will flock to your outdoors in numbers, and if you enjoy bird-watching, you can do so from the comfort of your own home. How beautiful is it to wake up to the sound of chirping birds? Well, this is music that you can appreciate every morning with birds singing in the trees.

With all these advantages, it sure feels like having trees in your garden is a great idea. However, you need to take care when planting them as they can also work against you. First off, you need to gauge the distance the tree is form the cabin to ensure that it is not too close. How you plant the tree also matters. There have been several cases when people have planted trees at incorrect angles such that the trees eventually toppled over. Such occasions can be so bad that the tree can end up wrecking your home, thus leading to massive costs regarding repairs after that.

You should note that trees require maintenance, and this will depend on how close they are to the home. Where a tree is quite close to the house, you will find that you have to cut the branches now and then to discourage animals from accessing your home. You also need to make sure that the tree is not shading the house too much such that the logs remain moist most of the year, leading to the growth of fungus.

How Then Should You Plant Trees Near A Log Cabin?

Site Selection

The kinds of trees that you plant near your house should provide shade. If you leave your cabin exposed to the sun’s rays over time, you expose it to cellular damage. At first, the effects of the sun are not very visible, and it may be a while before you notice the damaged wood cells. In time, fungi will begin to feed on these parts, eventually leading to rot. Though some people deal with this issue by having deep overhangs, you can easily protect your home by having trees on the southern and western sides of your house.

Trees should be at a site where they can provide shade from the afternoon rays, especially during summer when the heat can become unbearable. If you cannot have the trees towards the west and the south, have them on the southwest side. While doing so, you have to consider the size of the trees regarding how tall they will grow, as well as how far they will spread.

If you plan on having large trees that can grow to heights of seventy feet or over, you should plant them at least twenty feet away from your home. Otherwise, they will provide more shade than necessary, thus leading to other problems. Medium trees that reach a maximum of seventy feet can be at least fifteen feet from the home, whereas small trees of up to thirty feet can be at least ten feet from the house. The closest that a small tree should be to the home should be eight feet.

What to do

When selecting the best tree for your home, ensure that you consider its size in proportion to that of your home. If you have a large cabin, you can go for a large tree. However, where your cabin is small, a big tree will only work in making your cabin appear smaller. A medium-size tree is excellent for a small home as it will not diminish its size. It also works well with big houses, as it makes them look bigger than they are.

Other than size, you have to consider the chances of insect infestations. Given that your house is of wood, you would not want a tree which attracts insects that can bore holes in your home, thus upping the costs of repair and maintenance. If you find that you do want one that is prone to infestations, you should consult with an expert as to how to keep the pests away.

Have you considered the size of the roots? Root systems spread based on where they can find moisture and oxygen. It is therefore sometimes not a surprise to discover that they have grown farther than you expected. The problem with this is that the root system can damage the foundation of your home, alongside the underground pipes, walkways and other essential aspects of your home.

What not to do

Trees will require maintenance based on their location as well as their type. Supposing you choose a tree that often drops pods, fruit or other litter, you will need to dedicate a lot of time and energy to cleaning up the outdoors. Also, having trees closer to your home than the stipulated limits is a big no. Not only can they pose a risk to your cabin in the form of toppling over during storms or breaking under the pressure of wind, they also add to the work that you need to do regarding maintenance. You will find that they drop leaves on the roof which will require removal lest they damage the roofing material. They can also block the drainage, thus causing an issue during the rainy season. And that’s not all, having overhanging limbs provides an avenue for rodents to access your roof and these can be very destructive in a short period of time.

When it comes to trees near log cabin – the things you need to know, it comes down to the size and type of the tree, the spacing in play as well as how much maintenance work you are willing to do. Trees are beneficial to the outdoors, but they can also be hazardous, so be sure to use caution when planting them. Good luck!